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Politically it has been an interesting couple of weeks in the United Kingdom, but now a new government has been formed and things are starting to settle down The National Archives have started talking to us again.

Once the election had been announced The National Archives were obliged to restrict what they said, because they are a government department. Now the new government has been formed, normal service has been resumed.

One of their first announcements was about the appointment of Kenneth Clarke QC MP as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, effectively putting him in charge of The National Archives.

The next few years are going to be difficult financially, and I am sure we haven’t seen the last of the cost cutting already seen at The National Archives in recent months (e.g. closing on Mondays).

I am sure over the next few months (even years) there are going to have to be some unpopular decisions made that will affect us as family historians. However, like the two political parties now working together in coalition, we are going to have to make some compromises.

In the meantime, it is good to have The National Archives back talking to us, it has really been rather quiet without them.